Asbestos: A Conspiracy 4,500 Years in the Making
AsbestosPodcast.comThey knew. They always knew.
Nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman historian Pliny the Elder documented asbestos workers dying from "sickness of the lungs"—watching slaves fashion crude respirators from animal bladders while weaving what he called "funeral dress for kings." The people closest to the dust understood the danger. The people farthest away admired the spectacle, collected the profits, and bur... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 16 | Founded | 3 months ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | EducationHistory | |||
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Latest Episodes
Episode 15: The Body Count Begins
It's 1890 in Normandy, France. Paul Fleury recruits 17 cotton workers to process asbestos. Sixteen die—a 94% mortality rate that inspectors won't document for 16 years. Meanwhile, Lucy Deane, one of Britain's first ... more
Episode 14: The Workers Nobody Counted
Between 1880 and 1920, asbestos companies tracked production to the tenth of a pound but recorded zero occupational disease deaths. They documented every fatal accident with names and ages—but workers dying fro... more
Episode 13: The Magic Mineral Goes Mainstream
How did asbestos go from industrial hazard to kitchen staple? By 1958, the U.S. Geological Survey counted over 3,000 applications—from ceiling tiles to cigarette filters delivering 131 million fibers per... more
Episode 12: Raybestos and the Brake Pad Revolution
Did the auto industry know brake dust was killing mechanics? By 1935, yes—and they agreed to stay quiet. On October 1, 1935, Raybestos president Sumner Simpson wrote to Johns-Manville: "I think the ... more
Episode 11: The Corporate Architects
Asbestos: A Conspiracy 4,500 Years in the Making
In 1898, a British government inspector described asbestos particles as "sharp, glass-like, jagged" and documented workers dying from lung disease. That same year... more
Episode 10: The Mines Open
Arc 3: The Industrial Revolution — Premiere Episode
How did a 'miracle fix' for deadly boiler explosions become a century-long catastrophe? In 1880, 159 boilers exploded in a single year—killing workers and bystanders wit... more
When did science finally kill the salamander myth? Not in 1646, when Thomas Browne published his famous debunking—the myth was already dead by then. Renaissance physicians had been burning salamanders and publishing the results since 1537. Browne's c... more
Description
In 1298, Marco Polo named his source: a Turkish mining supervisor called Zurficar who spent three years directing asbestos operations for Kublai Khan. There's just one problem — Zurficar appears in no Chinese, Persian, or Mongol records.... more
Key Facts
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Reviews
- Impactful
An easy listen to follow with good information.
Apple Podcasts5Lizz0321
United States3 months ago - Wow!
Very educational! I loved it!
Apple Podcasts5Abrego84United States3 months ago - Mind-Blowing History, Life-Saving Info!
This podcast rewrites everything I thought I knew about asbestos. Must-Listen
Apple Podcasts5Matthew BertramUnited States3 months ago - Wow!!! Very Educational
I just thought I knew it all about the threat of asbestos. This is very eye-opening and educational about exactly how bad it is.
Apple Podcasts5AggieHellcatUnited States3 months ago
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast
What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?
This podcast provides a detailed examination of asbestos, a mineral with a complex history spanning over 4,500 years. It explores the ancient uses of asbestos, including its role in rituals and as a luxurious material in Rome and Greece, while shedding light on the darker side of its legacy—corporate negligence, health hazards, and the ongoing fight against asbestos-related illnesses. Episodes feature historical anecdotes, scientific insights, and a critical look at the industrial cover-ups that have persisted from ancient times to the modern day. Through in-depth narratives, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of how a once-celebrated material has led to widespread suffering and litigation, emphasizing that the consequences of its use c... more
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this podcast launched 3 months ago and published 16 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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